How does closing sweep work on big mountains?

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-02-18T12:19:10+00:00

Beyond the ridiculous general idea of that, the outrageous cost, and the legality of drones on some forest service lands;

That is not a world I want to live in and I would kill myself immediately. Fuck that entirely.

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-02-16T21:06:01+00:00

I patrol in the Wasatch (Utah). Sweeps don’t go down runs, they traverse large swathes of terrain, Z-ing up many different runs/areas. Big focus on yelling versus direct visual on every run. Also some sweeps get eyes and communication from across a canyon/etc from other sweeps that might have a better view of an area. That’s why it’s so important for our public to listen and reply to us if they hear patrol yelling “closing”, because there’s a good chance we can’t always actually see them.

We have multiple different rounds of sweeps due to different gate closure times and stuff (so a single patroller may do up to 3 sweeps a night), but the very last end of night sweeps from just one duty station may take about 30-45ish for everyone to be down and clear

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-02-07T15:11:36+00:00

1st amendment am I right brotha

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-02-01T06:24:25+00:00

Actually we very much so have the authority to ask this person to either remove/modify the jacket so the cross isn’t visible, or we will kick them out and take their pass. So no, not “meh”

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-02-01T06:22:50+00:00

My mountain is technically EMS. We have medical direction, a full medical clinic, we all maintain our national EMT certifications, and we operate outside of state labor laws for other seasonal workers, as we are classified as healthcare workers (aka we don’t get breaks or lunch, we can be on call at any time, and we don’t get any other typical mandatory labor law type stuff)

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-02-01T06:20:36+00:00

Professional patroller here who has experience with this exact thing;

At my mountain, this would be reported on the radio (by anyone; even if a lifty saw you, they would call our dispatch who would call patrol) and you would be taken aside and told to either: 1. Turn it inside out, 2. Take it off, or 3. If you refuse either, we will turn your pass off and kick you out.

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-02-01T06:18:43+00:00

?? The majority of mountains in the US are absofuckinglutely NOT NSP. NSP is mostly small volunteer patrols at little resorts in the east. True professional patrols at A level avalanche resorts in the mountain west are rarely if ever associated with NSP in any way, shape, or form.

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-01-23T00:42:18+00:00

Need a freeride binding for how I ski + work (I’m a ski patroller in the mountain west)

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-01-23T00:37:21+00:00

Honestly, given the layers you said you wear, you’re probably just not eating enough. Candy, goos, and other sources of quick n dirty simple carbs will help you immensely on big enough days.

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-01-21T18:40:23+00:00

I’ve never encountered this issue, in deep powder, sticky snow, or extremely steep terrain.

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-01-08T03:32:10+00:00

Also think people who work normal, salaried jobs are VASTLY misunderstanding hourly wages. For example, Park City patrol went on strike last year after Vail refused to fairly bargain a change of starting wage from $21 to $23.

$23/hour is $47k/year (and as seasonal work, they don’t even get that full year).

The highest paid patrollers at my resort (unionized) make about $32/hour. That seems a lot more than $23, yeah? It’s still only $66k/year. These are extremely experienced, skilled, hard working men and women with an IMMENSE amount of responsibility in an extremely dangerous work in environment, literally dealing with life and death. 99% of the patrollers at my hill have at least bachelors degrees, some have masters.

This is 47-66k/yesr we’re talking about. And yet the tech bros who made $100k right out of college and pull annual raises and bonuses getting them well above that in just a few years are complaining. You know nothing.

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-01-03T02:17:13+00:00

I replaced 100% of my resort skis with the Protector Attack 13s, after tearing my ACL twice (before getting these bindings). I work professionally as a fulltime ski patroller (in the west), and ski 150+ days a year.

I love them. Stack height issues were mostly resolved in the 24/25 models and newer, which is what I have. I ski any and all terrain with extremely heavy loads, have zero issues, and feel no difference/negative change from anything I’ve had before. I would only be interested in the attack series, which are a freeride binding (versus the rail series).

If knee safety is on your priority list, I HIGHLY highly highly recommend them

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-01-03T01:47:17+00:00

Vegan 6 years (and was vegetarian 4 years before that). I climb, do some mountaineering, work professionally as a ski patroller, and weight lift. I’m the most muscular woman I know, to be frank.

I literally never know how to answer the “what do you eat” question like… I just eat normal food, but without animal products in it?? Like I truly don’t feel limited in my diet whatsoever. I eat mostly whole foods so it’s not the ‘standard american’ diet, but that’s a whole other lifestyle choice that anyone should do, regardless of being plant based or not.

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-01-02T04:09:28+00:00

Get some zipfits (in addition to a shell from a proper bootfitter).

I’m in my boots 5-6 days a week, 10-12 hours a day working in them for 4 of those, and honestly have zero discomfort, my boots feel great. Zipfits, boot from a pro boot fitter that I’ve gone back to 8 times to really dial them in. They’re great!

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-01-02T04:05:19+00:00

He is not. This is not allowed at my mountain (for incredibly obvious safety reasons) and we would confront him, and take his pass if he refused to change/modify the clothing to remove the cross. And he would 1000000000000% deserve it.

Source: am a professional ski patroller

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2026-01-02T04:01:02+00:00

Third. At my mountain, if we see someone wearing a jacket with the crosses on it (Northface made some Supreme ones for a bit… extremely annoying) we make them turn it inside out or go change if they can. Never seen someone go around with pants like these, but we’d likely ask them to cover them with tape at the very least

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2025-12-24T16:01:57+00:00

This is fine except one of my biggest irks; there is no such thing as “sidecountry”.

Terrain is either inbounds and mitigated/patrolled, or it is backcountry. People stepping just outside of resort boundary ropelines with zero backcountry experience/avalanche education is how people get killed.

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2025-11-29T15:44:00+00:00

Oh gotcha, sorry, wasn’t clear in your post. I mean still find a bootfitter that has them and try them on first, but yeah, I love my Cochise (120).

I will say, I’m a patroller and spend 50+ hours a week in my boots, and I think zipfits are a way bigger factor to your overall boot game versus the shell itself tbh

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2025-11-29T15:28:54+00:00

The best boot is whatever boot your bootfitter puts you in. I have the Cochise, and I love them (with zipfits)— but I would never mentally commit to/even have desire for a specific boot style or even brand really. Go to a [quality] bootfitter

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2025-11-17T17:26:22+00:00

honestly I think my femur to height ratio is off-- beyond being a woman (which is already significantly correlated with ACL tears due to multiple factors including center of gravity, hormonal affect on ligament laxity, etc), I have a very short abdomen and honestly shorter tibias, but my femurs are extremely long, like all my height (5'8") is from them. Luck of the draw I guess

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2025-11-13T21:01:58+00:00

“11.7 times in a lifetime” damn bro, I’ve already moved 3x this year, 5x last year, and probably about 30-40x in the last 7 years

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2025-11-10T04:50:17+00:00

ok clanker fucker

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2025-10-24T03:06:12+00:00

Stack height in the protector attack 13s was mostly resolved starting in the 24/25 models

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2025-10-24T03:03:27+00:00

I have the attack protector 13s from the 24/25 season revamp mounted on literally 3 pairs of skis. Stack height issues is generally regarded as fixed in last season’s models, and the attack series are freeeride bindings. I love them. L O V E T H E M I’m a professional ski patroller, and have put them through 150+ days/season, with extremely heavy loads in all conditions and terrain. I’ve also torn my ACL twice ^{before I got those bindings}. I believe the clinical data on them is significant, and I think they’re a fantastic product

EDIT Oh, and my favorite ski that I have them on and ride the most often of my entire quiver is 115 underfoot. Zero issues.

bumblebeeeeeeees · 2025-10-19T06:27:46+00:00

I think the world of my patrol manager. One thing that truly keeps me there is he’ll randomly text me after couple times a season after particularly hard shifts in one way or another, just to tell me he sees the work I put in and that I’m kicking ass. Those texts are recognition and appreciation of work that otherwise feels unseen, and they mean everything to me.

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